In 2020, a deadly blast at Beirut port destroyed the much-beloved Sursock Museum. Parts of the 20th-century building’s architecture, reflecting both Venetian and Ottoman stylistic elements, were damaged, along with 57 works of art. Now, almost three years later, the museum has reopened.
Food prices have skyrocketed in Lebanon, and the World Food Program says an unprecedented number of people rely on humanitarian assistance to get by. Private charity groups say they are doing all they can but that it’s not enough to meet the demands.
Lebanon has 18 recognized religious sects, and sectarianism is built into the country’s political system. But in the wake of the October 2019 protest movement, some are advocating for a different path.
An economy in freefall and political tensions with an important importer of Lebanese goods have workers and managers at a paper factory on the outskirts of Beirut worried about the future.
Lebanon is facing a critical electricity shortage. The state’s electric company is only able to provide power to residents for a few hours a day. For the rest, people have no choice but to rely on private generator businesses, which in turn, has created its own set of problems.
A rally against Tarek Bitar, the Lebanese judge in charge of investigating the Beirut port blast, turned parts of the capital into a war zone. Clashes left at least seven people dead. Now, the question is, can the investigation move forward?
Top of The World: A group of suicide bombers have attacked another Shiite mosque in Afghanistan. And, The Lebanese government has called for a national day of mourning on Friday after heavy gun battles in Beirut left at least seven people dead. Also, The Biden administration is planning to reinstate the controversial “Remain in Mexico” policy in November.
Top of The World: Police in Norway on Thursday have arrested and charged a 37-year-old Danish man suspected of a bow-and-arrow attack that killed five people. And, at least six people were left dead on Thursday in Beirut after armed clashes broke out during a protest over a judge conducting a probe of last year’s devastating blast in the city’s port. Also, a fire in a 13-story building that raged out of control for hours overnight in the city of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan has left 46 people dead.
The "Pandora Papers" exposed offshore accounts of the rich and powerful around the globe, including Lebanon's elite political class. Alia Ibrahim, founder of Daraj Media, a team that helped bring the investigation to light, joined The World's host Marco Werman to discuss Lebanon's economic situation.
Millions of Syrians are wrestling with the tough choice to return to Syria after 10 years of civil war. In Turkey, the COVID-19 pandemic hit some Syrians so hard that they returned home, only to regret it.
A year after a blast in Beirut killed more than 200 people and destroyed swathes of the city, no one has been held accountable as the country sinks deeper into crisis.